HR is like any other department in an organisation. However, there is a difference. They are the main link or face between the rest of the employees on one side and the management on the other side. They cannot, generally, take sides and call a spade a spade. If Management errs in any manpower related decision, it is the duty of the HR to put the matters in the proper perspective for the Management to take note of and also recommend proper action against employees, through legitimate, humane, decisions. They should also have a 'heart' instead of going by the rule book, all the time. HR should look at the problems not only from the Management's perspective but also from the employee's.
There are tons of reading material available in the internet to give you better clarity, just in case what we have written here is not sufficient for you.
HR are not DEVILS... They too are human beings.... If you want to treat HR as your friend, then you should not try to take undue advantage of your proximity... Please remember that !
From India
578There are tons of reading material available in the internet to give you better clarity, just in case what we have written here is not sufficient for you.
HR are not DEVILS... They too are human beings.... If you want to treat HR as your friend, then you should not try to take undue advantage of your proximity... Please remember that !
From India
Dear Members,
Greetings For The Day!!!
This is not a rhetorical question. I’m curious. And this is just the right group to ask.
Here’s how my internal discussion plays out…
In this day and age of almost pathological focus on employee engagement you would think they work “for” the employee ensuring they get what they need to be “engaged” and add value to the company.
I’m sure management (read: Executive Management) believes HR works for the company focusing on finding an optimal mix of cost and productivity to be competitive and drive business success.
Maybe I’m naïve but it would seem that HR is in a pretty untenable position. A lose-lose situation if there ever was one. HR is constantly making decisions that like whether to include a new employee engagement option to support the employees – even though they know it may cost the company money, and with no proof it will provide a return they could be bad stewards of the company’s money. What to do?
Sure you can make the case that the engagement investment is good for both the employee and the company, but at the end of the day HR needs to come down on one side or the other.
HR could be the arbiter… the dispassionate third-party who provides a fair and balanced point of view taking into consideration both the company’s and the employee’s points of view. But the person signing HR’s paycheck is the company and we all know we shouldn’t bite the hand that feeds us.
So, while intellectually I know that providing the best environment to your employees will drive company success, the corporate brain is going to want to make sure that expense is never more than the optimal level. Not. One. Penney. More.
If HR focuses too much on the employee you’re not fulfilling your responsibility to your company (remember them – you probably see their commitment to you ever 2 weeks.) If you focus too much on the company your employees will feel the pinch and the lack of attention, and be disengaged.
Who does HR work for?
It’s a question I’m glad I don’t have to struggle with each day but most HR pros are either walking that thin line between executives and employees – or have made the decision.
HR can be a friend of the employee – but not get much love from the Execs.
HR can be the friend of the company – but create a less than perfect employee environment.
Regards,
Shubha
Fb Id
From India, Patna
Greetings For The Day!!!
This is not a rhetorical question. I’m curious. And this is just the right group to ask.
Here’s how my internal discussion plays out…
In this day and age of almost pathological focus on employee engagement you would think they work “for” the employee ensuring they get what they need to be “engaged” and add value to the company.
I’m sure management (read: Executive Management) believes HR works for the company focusing on finding an optimal mix of cost and productivity to be competitive and drive business success.
Maybe I’m naïve but it would seem that HR is in a pretty untenable position. A lose-lose situation if there ever was one. HR is constantly making decisions that like whether to include a new employee engagement option to support the employees – even though they know it may cost the company money, and with no proof it will provide a return they could be bad stewards of the company’s money. What to do?
Sure you can make the case that the engagement investment is good for both the employee and the company, but at the end of the day HR needs to come down on one side or the other.
HR could be the arbiter… the dispassionate third-party who provides a fair and balanced point of view taking into consideration both the company’s and the employee’s points of view. But the person signing HR’s paycheck is the company and we all know we shouldn’t bite the hand that feeds us.
So, while intellectually I know that providing the best environment to your employees will drive company success, the corporate brain is going to want to make sure that expense is never more than the optimal level. Not. One. Penney. More.
If HR focuses too much on the employee you’re not fulfilling your responsibility to your company (remember them – you probably see their commitment to you ever 2 weeks.) If you focus too much on the company your employees will feel the pinch and the lack of attention, and be disengaged.
Who does HR work for?
It’s a question I’m glad I don’t have to struggle with each day but most HR pros are either walking that thin line between executives and employees – or have made the decision.
HR can be a friend of the employee – but not get much love from the Execs.
HR can be the friend of the company – but create a less than perfect employee environment.
Regards,
Shubha
Fb Id
From India, Patna
Dear Deepa,
I take this opportunity to again stress that when we raise questions it is essential to give enough information about who we are and why we are raising the question. Such an action helps bloggers to focus and give precise answers and not digress away.
First you have to define what you mean by "a friend of employees". For example, the free dictionary at friend - definition of friend by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia. has 5 definitions. Kindly look it up and tell us which of the definitions were you referring to. When I started my journey as an Industrial Engineer/Productivity Services Analyst, I was told be "friendly" with the workers but do not get "familiar". When one gets "familiar", there is a chance of being accused of favouritism.
From United Kingdom
I take this opportunity to again stress that when we raise questions it is essential to give enough information about who we are and why we are raising the question. Such an action helps bloggers to focus and give precise answers and not digress away.
First you have to define what you mean by "a friend of employees". For example, the free dictionary at friend - definition of friend by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia. has 5 definitions. Kindly look it up and tell us which of the definitions were you referring to. When I started my journey as an Industrial Engineer/Productivity Services Analyst, I was told be "friendly" with the workers but do not get "familiar". When one gets "familiar", there is a chance of being accused of favouritism.
From United Kingdom
Hi All
I agree with the inputs provided by Simhan
In my opinion a friend is person whom one knows, likes, and trusts.
I would like to share one of the scenario.I am working as HR in IT services company and all most all employees
are friendly with me .but one of the consultant, management decided to send off due to non performance and hence they didn't confirm her employment and she has to leave .she has mistaken and thought I did not communicated to her properly .so we have to strike a balance between frindliness and professionalism and some of the employees don't understand this fact
Regards
Deepa
From India, Bangalore
I agree with the inputs provided by Simhan
In my opinion a friend is person whom one knows, likes, and trusts.
I would like to share one of the scenario.I am working as HR in IT services company and all most all employees
are friendly with me .but one of the consultant, management decided to send off due to non performance and hence they didn't confirm her employment and she has to leave .she has mistaken and thought I did not communicated to her properly .so we have to strike a balance between frindliness and professionalism and some of the employees don't understand this fact
Regards
Deepa
From India, Bangalore
Hello Deepa,
The present trend is to extend the concept of customers
within the various departments in an organization.
So for HR Department, all the employees are internal customers.
Freindship to the extent of knowing the employees is essential.
Yet as pointed out by others it should not create a situation, where
the work ethics come into confrontation.
V.Raghunathan
From India
The present trend is to extend the concept of customers
within the various departments in an organization.
So for HR Department, all the employees are internal customers.
Freindship to the extent of knowing the employees is essential.
Yet as pointed out by others it should not create a situation, where
the work ethics come into confrontation.
V.Raghunathan
From India
If all employees are treated as internal customers in one form or the other, and they are treated like King (Customer is the King concept !), indirectly you are going to delight the external or invisible customer . There is also another school of thought. If you take care of your employees well, you dont have to worry and they will take care of the customers themselves. However, ultimately your goal is to please the customer and stay in business. Whether a satisfied customer is going to fetch you more customers or not, unsatisfied customers will stop your getting more customers...
Take these factors into account while handling your employees ....
Best wishes
From India
Take these factors into account while handling your employees ....
Best wishes
From India
An HR manager’s job is to ensure that:-
a) The expectations of the Management ( the promoters) are met satisfactorily
b) The aspirations of the employees (in terms of growth, security etc) are taken care of
c) The statutory compliances are met for a smooth sailing
.
Thus, an HR manager is neither a friend of the employees nor an errand boy of the management. She is like the Lady of the house who has to balance the needs and aspirations of her children (employees) while keeping the husband ( the management) in good humour.
A very tough role indeed
From India, Delhi
a) The expectations of the Management ( the promoters) are met satisfactorily
b) The aspirations of the employees (in terms of growth, security etc) are taken care of
c) The statutory compliances are met for a smooth sailing
.
Thus, an HR manager is neither a friend of the employees nor an errand boy of the management. She is like the Lady of the house who has to balance the needs and aspirations of her children (employees) while keeping the husband ( the management) in good humour.
A very tough role indeed
From India, Delhi
Dear Ukm,
I am rather surprised that, in this age, you think that a husband is the Manager of a house and children are employees. What happens in a household where the women is the breadwinner and the man looks after the house?
From United Kingdom
I am rather surprised that, in this age, you think that a husband is the Manager of a house and children are employees. What happens in a household where the women is the breadwinner and the man looks after the house?
From United Kingdom
For HR professionals, making friends at work can be fraught with complexity, which is why it might be prudent to avoid happy hours after work and play it safe by keeping to yourself. After all, it can be hard to enjoy a drink with a colleague whose performance is under review or who is part of an ongoing HR investigation.
when HR get too close to some staff they court allegations of discrimination and favoritism. Where harsh decisions – such as lay-offs – have had to be made, he has seen how personal friendships forged between the HR professional and the affected staff have precluded employers from acting fairly.
Clearly it’s harder for HR to discipline staff if they are friends and have personal knowledge of them, but, it can also be difficult for HR professionals to tread the fine line between collegiality and professionalism.
Another issue that can arise is perceived favouritism. If other staff feel they are being treated less favourably than those who are friendly with HR, it can have a negative impact on the work atmosphere. “Teamwork may become more difficult, grievances may be generated and bad behaviour may become the norm,” Holden said. “This could impact on absenteeism, staff turnover rates and customer service.”
Mitigate the risks
Be consistent and always act with integrity – never reveal confidential company information to your workplace friends, even if you feel that they would benefit from this knowledge
Join professional networks to meet professionals from other organisations so that you can discuss and workshop work-related issues in a confidential environment with professional peers – or post discussion items on the HR Daily forum
Establish ground rules and stick to them – explain to work friends from the outset that circumstances may arise in the future in which you will need to act in the best interests of the company
Be transparent – always disclose potential conflicts of interests to your manager
If you do attend after-work functions, avoid gossip and stay away from the punch bowl
Choose your work friends wisely – at the very least, wait until your potential friends have passed their probation period
thanx
From India
when HR get too close to some staff they court allegations of discrimination and favoritism. Where harsh decisions – such as lay-offs – have had to be made, he has seen how personal friendships forged between the HR professional and the affected staff have precluded employers from acting fairly.
Clearly it’s harder for HR to discipline staff if they are friends and have personal knowledge of them, but, it can also be difficult for HR professionals to tread the fine line between collegiality and professionalism.
Another issue that can arise is perceived favouritism. If other staff feel they are being treated less favourably than those who are friendly with HR, it can have a negative impact on the work atmosphere. “Teamwork may become more difficult, grievances may be generated and bad behaviour may become the norm,” Holden said. “This could impact on absenteeism, staff turnover rates and customer service.”
Mitigate the risks
Be consistent and always act with integrity – never reveal confidential company information to your workplace friends, even if you feel that they would benefit from this knowledge
Join professional networks to meet professionals from other organisations so that you can discuss and workshop work-related issues in a confidential environment with professional peers – or post discussion items on the HR Daily forum
Establish ground rules and stick to them – explain to work friends from the outset that circumstances may arise in the future in which you will need to act in the best interests of the company
Be transparent – always disclose potential conflicts of interests to your manager
If you do attend after-work functions, avoid gossip and stay away from the punch bowl
Choose your work friends wisely – at the very least, wait until your potential friends have passed their probation period
thanx
From India
Ahha !!! Yes anyone can be a friend of anyone..
In specific HR is also a Human being.. its HR by profession but human by himself
.. IN last organisation i had a Senior HR as my friend .. and so on became a good friend which is now a Best friend of mine... remember although we were friends.. we have our own duties & responsibilities to perform... we mixed our emotions, play, humour, everything together but when it comes to work... we were standing on our own spot... ;)
Well Just wanted to ask you one thing.. are you willing to make friend by heart or by profession???
I am not HR still have almost 700+ HR friends ;)
Coz Dosti was only Dilse... friendly ;)
From India, Mumbai
In specific HR is also a Human being.. its HR by profession but human by himself
.. IN last organisation i had a Senior HR as my friend .. and so on became a good friend which is now a Best friend of mine... remember although we were friends.. we have our own duties & responsibilities to perform... we mixed our emotions, play, humour, everything together but when it comes to work... we were standing on our own spot... ;)
Well Just wanted to ask you one thing.. are you willing to make friend by heart or by profession???
I am not HR still have almost 700+ HR friends ;)
Coz Dosti was only Dilse... friendly ;)
From India, Mumbai
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